Method and apparatus for sealing crevices in rock formations or the like



J 10, 193 G. w. CHRISTIANS IN ROCK FORMATIONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept.1],, 192 s METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVICES Qwventm; GeorgeO/rnsrzbvu 'to the crevice.

Patented June 10, 1 930 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE enonen w cnnxsrmns,or cnnrranooea, 'rnmvnssnn MET HOD APPARATUS FOR SEALING- GREVIOES INBbGK FORMATIONS w THE LIKE This invention relates to a method andapparatus for sealing underground crevices and the like-with thermoplastic materials such as asphalt,'pitch, sulphur 'or the like, and

5 more s ecifically to a no'vel method and appa ratus or forciblyfeeding such materials to subterranean crevices or fissures, which areto be sealed. 1 I

In my Patents, 1,327,268 and 1,327.269,

and apparatus for sealing crevicesin rock formations and the like, andin that method, a hole is extended to the point where the underground.crevice occurs. Hot asphalt or the like is then pumped throughthis holeand into the crevice for sealing the latter, and this sealing agent ismaintained in heated condition during its passage through the hole byheat radiating from within the hole.-

20. In practicin said process, the thermolasticmateria was arranged in a.heating ettle and siphoned off from said kettle to the pump, employedfor feeding the sealing agent The siphon arrangement is an obvious andconvenient method an was used for a long time. However, it has d'sadvantages. The gas'liberat'ed from th aspjhalt tends to break the actionof the siphon.

nder low pressure work, it did not often do so this, but very fre'uently interfered and prevented the pump om getting a full cylinder ofasphalt, with a resulting non-uniform flow whic gave very confusing pressure indications. Considerable difliculty was expe-' rienced with suchsiphon arrangement when working on a high pressure job. he main objectof the present invention is to provide a feeding method'and apparatus inwhich the defects of the siphon system are 40 eliminated. The desiredresult is obtained bya straight gravity feed from the upper ortion ofthe heating kettle to the pum which permits the gas to escape from thefeeding pipe and gives a full cylinder at every 5 stroke of the pump,and which makes the operation much more satisfactory.

r The top of the heating kettle,

. ent invention, plialt or'the in the pres- 1s open and the level of theaslike cannot be drawn down hei low the intake pipe, as asphalt is fedthe of-the pump, and this is accomplished 10 dated Jan. '6, 1920, I havedisclosed a method improved apparatus.

able thermo-p Application filed September 11, 1926. Serial iii. 184,920.

top of the kettle whenever necessary'to .prevent this.

cafiionally for cleaning and atthe end of a J I The kettle is onlyemptied oc- Another object of the invention is to prevent unmeltedportions of the asphalt or large pieces of other material from flowingfrom therheating kettle into the'intake pipe removable screen arrangedat the top of the kettle at a point where it'is readily accessible forremoval, cleaning or the like.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds,and I will now describe the details of the invention whilereferring tothe accompanying drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view Fig. 2 is a kettle. v

1', in the drawing, indicates a kettle of any suitable form andmaterial, mounted on supports 2 and heated by any suitable heatingdevice 3. In 0 eration, asphalt orother suitl stic material is fed intothe top plan view of a portion of the partly in section of theopen'top'of the kettle and anefl'ort isma'de to keep. the kettlesubstantially full at all times. As the asphalt melts, wardly'andthis'heated asphalt will pass from 'theupper end of the kettle through aerforated screen 4, and into the upper en of a gravity feed pipe 5 whichcommunicates with the suction pipe 6 of the feeding pump 7.

"The screen 4 is preferably of box-shape, and is suspended onthe upperedge of the kettle by hooks 8; This will permit the screen to be readilyremoved for the purpose of cleaning-and the like.

In the present construction, the hot asphalt at the top of the tank readly flowsby grav ty into the pipe 5, and any gas wlth n t gplpe will riseand may discharge through th inlet end of "the same. Consequently, suchgas will notinterfere'with the working of the apparatus, as is does inthe siphon system.

At the beginning of' an operation, the p1 5 is heated by a torch or thelike, so that t e asphalt may readily flow throu h the same,

and after the operation'is un er way, the

it will flow up-- pump 7 will draw hot asphalt through the pipe 5 withsuflicient velocity to maintain the pipe 5 in heated condition.

The crank pin 9 of the pump is adjustable in a slot lQin the crank 11,in a manner similar to that disclosed in my application Serial No.127,896, filed Aug. 7 1926, so as to allow the stroke of the pump to bevaried whenever necessary.

The thermo-plastic sealing agent is maintained in heated condition whiletraveling through the pipe 13 by electric means, such means includingthe wire 17 which extends through the pipe 13 from its upper to itslower end. Such means of heating is clearly disclosed in my Patent No.1,327,269.

The pump 7 forces the hot asphalt into a discharge pipe 12, connected tothe upper end of a conduit 13 which extends into the hole 14 that hasbeen drilled to permit the hot asphalt to befed into the crevices 15which are to be sealed.

16 indicates a pressure gage arrangement which is specifically describedin my above mentioned application.

From the above description, it may be seen that in the operation of theapparatus, the asphalt is taken from the top of the kettle, and that thecold asphalt fed into the top of the kettle sinks to the bottom thereof.This hot asphalt flows off through the gravity feed pipe 5 through thescreen 4, which, as-before stated, keeps out trash and the like, and isaccessible for easy changing. As long as the pump is in operation andasphalt is fed into the top of the kettle, the apparatus will operatewithout trouble, and this has been proved by actual practice.

I believe from the foregoing description, when read in connection withthe accompanying drawing, that my improved method and apparatus may bereadily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware thatchanges may be made in the details disclosed without departing from thespirit of the invention as expressed in the claims,

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for sealing crevices in rock formations and the like,includingthe steps of heating a mass of thermo-plastic material, feedingthe heated thermo-plastic material from the upper portion of the mass bygravity, through a passage-way, heating, said passage-way to permit thematerial to readily flow through the same, and pumping such heatedmaterial through a conduit and into the crevice to be sealed.

2. A method of sealing crevices in rock formations and the like,including the steps of heating a mass of thermo-plastic material,permitting such material in heated condition to flow by gravity from theupper portion of the mass through a passage-way, heating saidpassage-way before introducing the material into the same to facilitatethe flow of the material through the passage-way, and forcing saidheated material through a conduit arid into the crevice to be sealed.

3. An apparatus of the'class described, including a kettle having anopen top, a gravity feed discharge pipe having its entrance endconnected to the upper portion of said kettle in close proximity to itsupper end, a pump having its intake connected to the lower end of saidpipe, a conduit connected to the outlet of the pump, and means forheating said conduit.

4. An apparatus for use in sealing crevices in rock formations and thelike, comprising an open top kettle adapted to contain thermoplasticmaterial, means for heating said'kettle, a downwardly extending gravityfeed pipe having its upper end connected to the upper portion of thekettle in close proximity to the upper end of the latter, said pipebeing arranged to permit thermo-plastic material in heated condition toreadily flow from the upper portion of the kettle downwardly by gravity,a pump having its intake connected to the lower end of said pipe, andmeans for feeding said material from the outlet of the pump to thecrevice to be sealed.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a heating kettle havingan open top and a gravity feed discharge pipe connected to the upperportion of the kettle, a screen arranged in the kettle over the inletend of mit ready removal of the screen from the top of the kettle.

6. A method for use in feeding thermoplastic materials, includingheating a mass of such material, permittin the material as it is heated,to rise and ow by ravity from the upper portion of said mass t rougha'passageway having its entrance at the upper portion of said mass,adding thermoplastic material to said mass, and thus maintaining thevolume of the mass substantially constant, and pumping the materialwhile it is in heated condition from said passageway.

7. A method of sealing crevices in rock formations and the like,including heating a mass of thermo-plastic material, permitting thematerial as it is heated, to rise and then flow 'by gravity from theupper ortion of saidmass through a passageway aving its entrance at theupper portion of said mass, pumping the heated material from thepassageway through a conduit and into the crevice to be sealed, andmaintaining the ma-\ terial in heated condition while flowing throughsaid conduit.

8. A method of sealing crevices in rock formations and the like,comprising heating a mass of thermoplastic material, permitting suchmaterial as it is heated, to rise and flow by gravity from the upperportion of said mass through a passageway, allowing any 40 be sealed.

gases in the passageway to readily discharge from the inlet end thereof,forcing heated material from the passageway through a conduit and intothe crevice to be sealed, and heating the material while it flowsthrough said conduit. 9. An apparatus for use in sealing'crevices inrock formations and the like, including a kettle adapted to containthermoplastic material, means for heating said kettle, a down- Wardlyextending gravity feed pipe having its upper end connected to the upperportion of, the kettle in close proximity to the upper end of thelatter, said pipe being arranged to permit thermo-plastic material inheated condition to readily flow from the upper ortion of the kettle bygravity, means for eeding said material from the outlet of the pump tothe crevice to be sealed, and screening means 26 arranged at theentrance end of-said pipe, and readily removable from the top of thekettle. A

10. An apparatus for use in sealing crevices in rock formations and thelike, comprising a'kettle adapted tocontain thermo-plastic material,means for heating said kettlefrom the exterior of the latter, adownwardly extending gravity feed pipe having its upper end connected tothe kettle in close proximity 30 to the upper end of the latter, saidpipe being arranged to permit thermo-plastic material in heatedcondition to readily flow from the upper portion of the kettle bygravity, screening means arranged at theentranceend of said pipe andreadily removable from the top of the kettle at all times, a pump havingits intake connected to the lower end of said pipe, and means forfeeding said material from the outlet of the'pump .to the crevice toGEORGE w. CHRISTIANS,

